Caption: Botox facelift procedure. Image 6 of 8. Doctor injecting a woman's face with botulinum toxin during a botox facelift. Botox is a cosmetic procedure that prevents skin wrinkles. Small amounts of the toxin are injected into the face. This paralyses the facial muscles, which has the effect of smoothing wrinkles. Botulinum toxin is obtained from Clostridium botulinum bacteria. It was first identified as the cause of botulism, a form of bacterial food poisoning that can lead to paralysis and death. The botox treatment uses far less toxin than the lethal dose. For a sequence showing the procedure, see images M590/162-169.